[Konoha Year 83]
"Dad! Dad!"
Himawari's little face was flushed with excitement as she pointed at the Sky Screen and shouted: "This time it's you, the Seventh Hokage!"
Young children always tend to idolize their parents. So seeing Naruto up on the Sky Screen like a big star, Himawari was bursting with pride.
Boruto also became instantly interested. He leaned in closer and asked curiously, "Dad, what were you like when you were a kid?"
Naruto thought for a moment, his memories seemingly drifting back to the past, then smiled and said: "I was a dead-last, and people made fun of me every day."
Boruto froze, "Dead last?"
"Mm."
Naruto nodded, "Pretty much like you now."
Boruto's face immediately fell: "I am not a dead-last!"
Since Naruto had become Hokage, he was busy with work every day and somewhat neglected his family, which made Boruto crave his attention.
At the same time, Boruto was very curious about Naruto's past. He always felt that Naruto's title as Hokage didn't match his reality.
What kind of Hokage gets knocked out by a single punch from his little sister?
Moreover, he even missed his own inauguration ceremony.
But now, looking at that small figure on the Sky Screen, a strange feeling welled up in Boruto's heartāit seemed his dad's childhood hadn't been easy.
Under those circumstancesā¦ how did a dead-last ever become the Hokage?
---
[Konoha Year One]
Madara and Hashirama were both intrigued. They, too, wanted to see the situation of this future Hokage who was said to surpass them both.
Especially Madara. He had always been bothered by the Sky Screen's claim that Uzumaki Naruto surpassed Hashirama, and he had only half-believed it.
Unless this guy's strength had truly reached the level of the Six Paths, there was no way he could be that much stronger than Hashirama.
---
[Konoha Year 50, Hokage Office]
Minato stood by the window, and upon seeing that small figure on the Sky Screen, his whole body suddenly tense up.
Short blonde hair, blue eyes, and whisker marks on his face.
Although he had seen the adult Naruto before, for some reason, seeing his son's younger form made tears well up faintly in Minato's eyes.
Kushina stood beside him, also watching the Sky Screen.
At first, she had just been curious. Last time the Sky Screen mentioned the Seventh Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, it had shown a short-haired adult male.
She had assumed he was just a member of the Uzumaki clan and had been happy for him.
But this time, the clear image of a boyāespecially the way he radiated that golden glow.
That hair. Those eyes. That face. There was no mistaking it!
Kushina was no fool, her entire body began to tremble slightly. Then she turned her head and looked at Minato, a cautious glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"Minatoā¦"
Her voice trembled, and yet tears were already streaming down her face.
Minato turned to look at Kushina.
He didn't say a word, just nodded slowly, his eyes filled with tears as well.
Once, twice, three times.
Kushina could no longer hold back, she threw herself into Minato's arms, muffling her sobs against his chest, her suppressed emotions pouring out, "Minato! That's our child, our child!"
Minato held her tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head, his voice hoarse.
"Yeah. He's our son."
The two held each other like that, watching the figure on the Sky Screen gradually grow up. Watching him go from a lonely childhood, to a spirited youth, to a calm and steadfast young man. And finally, to the figure in the haori of the Seventh Hokage, seen from behind.
"Minato," Kushina said softly.
"Hmm?"
"ā¦Thank you."
Minato looked down at her, "What are you thanking me for?"
Kushina lifted her head, tears still on her face, but smiling brightly: "Thank you for naming him Naruto."
Minato froze for a moment, then smiled as well, "That was the right thing to do."
He looked back at the Sky Screen, "Our sonā¦ became Hokage, huh?"
Shikaku, who had been standing nearby, smiled at the sight. He quickly walked out of the Hokage office and gently closed the door, leaving this moment of warmth to the couple.
[From an orphan shunned by everyone as a fox demon to the hero of the Shinobi World who ended the warāNaruto's journey was never easy.]
[It seems, as if by some cruel trick of fate, Naruto's childhood was not happy, and he spent his entire life healing from it. But his son Boruto's happiest time was his childhood, and in the future, he will use that childhood to heal his entire life.]
"Spend his entire life healing from itā¦" Kushina repeated the words to herself, tears welling up in her eyes.
The Sky Screen said Naruto's childhood was not happy, which was already painful enough for her to hear.
But at least Naruto's ending was goodāa hero of the Shinobi World who ended the war, the Seventh Hokageāwhich showed that Konoha still remembered the contributions of Minato and her.
A child without parents to love him would certainly lack affection in childhood. And Kushina assumed that this was the reason Naruto's childhood was unhappy.
But she didn't expect that the future of Naruto's child sounded even worse.
---
[Konoha Year 83]
Naruto reached out, and pulled Boruto into his arms, hugging him tightly.
Boruto was startled by his father's sudden action, "Dad? What are you doing?"
Naruto didn't speak. He just held him.
Last time, the Sky Screen had shown Boruto's rogue-nin headband and said he would experience a pain greater than Pain's. So Naruto already had his suspicions.
And now this time, it was saying that Boruto would be unhappy in the future, able only to look back on his childhood for solace.
Naruto didn't know how to express his feelings to Boruto.
Even though he had been the strongest in the world at just seventeen, ending the Fourth Great Ninja War and becoming a hero in everyone's eyes.
But now, facing Boruto's future, he felt strangely powerless.
He was the Hokageāso why couldn't he protect his own son?
"Dad?"
"Dad?" Boruto's voice sounded again, with a hint of unease, "What's wrong?"
Naruto took a deep breath, released him, and forced a smile: "Nothing. Just wanted to give you a hug."
Boruto looked at him suspiciously but didn't press further.
Himawari tilted her head beside them. "Dad, will Big Brother be unhappy in the future?"
Naruto was silent for a few seconds, then said firmly, "No, he won't. Dad will definitely protect you both."
---
[A more distant future timeline]
In an unnamed forest somewhere, a young girl stood quietly. In her eyes were irises shaped like the sun.
She looked up at the Sky Screen, at the familiar name on it, and a deep sense of longing flickered in her eyes.
"Borutoā¦"
She softly muttered the name.
'Where are you?'
'I miss you.'
[Of course, all of Naruto's childhood misfortunes began on the very day he was born.]
With the Sky Screen's narration, the scene quickly shifted to another location.
Konoha village, the full moon hung high in the sky, and everything was silent.
Except for the patrolling shinobis, most people were already in dreamland.
Then, suddenly, a massive creature appeared. It threw back its head and howled at the bright moon, nine tails thrashing wildly behind it.
Compared to the sleeping village of Konoha at night, it stood like a small mountain.
Instantly, shinobis from all the nations watching recognized it.
The Nine-Tails!
The people of Konoha turned pale. Painful memories being stirred up.
That night, countless people in Konoha had lost their homes, lost their loved ones.
---
[Konoha Year 50]
Minato and Kushina both froze at the same time.
'Here it comes!'
The event they had always wanted to know aboutāthe Nine-Tails' Rampage.
Kushina's hand unconsciously clenched. Minato felt her trembling and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, "Kushina?"
"I'm fine. It's justā¦"
She looked at the rampaging Nine-Tails on the Sky Screen. "Is thatā¦ a future version of me losing control?"
Minato was silent, he didn't know.
The Sky Screen said that Naruto's unhappiness began the very day he was born, so it definitely had something to do with the Nine-Tails. And their own fate as a couple also seemed quite clear.
But what exactly had happenedāthey still needed to keep watching.
"No matter what," Minato said again, his voice unwavering, "We will change it."
*****
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